Though the girls' teasing left Hinami somewhat exasperated, now that she was officially dating Byakuya-niichan, she didn't mind as much as before.
Before their relationship was official, having others gossip or spread rumors could have caused trouble for Byakuya-niichan.
She herself didn't mind, but if it troubled Byakuya-niichan, that would be a big problem.
Then Hinami immediately stood and walked toward the classroom door.
She not only accepted the bento from Byakuya but also exchanged it for her own.
In other words, they had both made bentos for each other...
"How about we eat outside?"
Just then, Byakuya spoke up.
"Sure."
Hinami happily agreed.
Eating in the classroom wasn't exactly the most polite thing to do—the smell would linger in the room for a long time. So she generally didn't eat in the classroom.
But this wasn't a strict rule either. Many students ate there for convenience or when they were in a rush, and that was perfectly fine too.
But most importantly, Hinami wanted to eat together with Byakuya-niichan...
"Is Hinami going to eat with Amaha-senpai? Just now it looked like they exchanged bentos?"
"That's normal, isn't it? They just started dating—of course they want to spend time together. Let's not disturb Hinami and Amaha-senpai."
"What a shame. I really wanted to follow them and see what they'd do."
"Honestly, don't make Hinami upset. She might not want to chat with us anymore after that."
"..."
...
Byakuya and Hinami found a bench near the athletic field and sat down.
While eating, they could watch students playing tennis, badminton, soccer, and various other sports.
"They're always discussing things between me and Byakuya-niichan. Does it bother you?"
Hinami brought up the topic of those girls.
If Byakuya-niichan was bothered by it, she would definitely have a proper talk with them.
"Not at all. Why would it bother me? They're Hinami's friends, aren't they?"
Byakuya replied.
"Some of them are friends; the others I'm not that close with..."
Hinami said.
"Anyway, don't overthink it. I really don't mind."
Byakuya smiled.
"That's good. Actually, I don't really mind either—as long as Byakuya-niichan isn't bothered, that's all that matters."
Hinami said.
"Alright, let's eat first. The food will stay warm for a while, but it's still best to start soon."
Byakuya opened his bento box.
"Okay."
Hinami nodded obediently.
Byakuya and Hinami had each made their partner's favorite dishes.
This was her first time eating together with Byakuya-niichan outdoors at school. The feeling was different from eating at home...
Just then, a bold idea suddenly popped into Hinami's head.
She picked up a piece of beef from her bento box with her chopsticks, cupped her other hand underneath it, and held it toward Byakuya.
"Byakuya-niichan, say ahh~"